DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SIGNALS ARE YOU ON YOUR JOURNEY?

Digital transformation (Dx) is a series of deep and coordinated culture, workforce, and technology shifts that enable new educational and operating models and transform an institution’s business model, strategic directions, and value proposition. Dx can make institutions more resilient, flexible, and relevant as they face an array of increasingly difficult challenges.

But what does that look like in practice? How do you know where your institution stands? This list is intended as a way for you to get a sense of your institution’s progress on that journey and to learn about how you can move forward.

Are you working toward transformation related to... One of your institution’s major challenges, such as student success, financial health, reputation and relevant, or external competition Institutional value proposition Change in business model Institutional or departmental strategic direction

Will the outcome… Be substantial Have a profound impact Result in tangible and fundamental change

Are you working toward deep and coordinated change? These elements might not be necessary for initial Dx efforts, but should be present as Dx initiatives expand. Is there evidence of... Visible commitment from senior leadership such as presidents, provosts, and boards Broad C-suite involvement and collaboration in defining Dx objectives and coordinating Dx efforts Explicit Dx plans or roadmaps Dedicated leadership for Dx Funding for Dx viewed as an investment toward a strategic outcome

Dx requires institutional change in culture, workforce, and technology. Is your institution working toward these changes?

This is an excerpted version of the February 2020 article Digital Transformation Signals: Is Your Institution on the Journey? Find it and more Dx resources at www.educause.edu/dx PAGE 2 OF 3

Culture Shifts Is there evidence of these shifts in culture?

Focus toward institutional goals and away Culture of trust, supported by accountability from siloed goals and data Focus on institutional differentiation Procurement coordinated at the institutional Innovation is strategic, sustainable, and level and responsive to marketplace changes driven by institutional ambitions Active institutional commitment to diversity, Leaders are willing to adopt new strategic equity, and inclusion (DEI) directions An IT organization charged with identifying Reliance on data and analytics and other new digital strategies in direct support of the forms of evidence to inform and adjust institution’s transformational goals institutional course Academic curriculum redefined to better Shift from risk aversion to risk management serve student needs Leadership rapidly makes decisions and New incubators for exploring and piloting adjusts strategy in response to changing innovative approaches and new sources of circumstances and new opportunities revenue IT investments and initiatives fully align with Investments and technology institutional priorities through governance implementations specific to Dx projects are informed by user experience Adept at change management Institutional flexibility and agility regarding Increased use of data and analytics to inform business processes and guide the Dx process Emergence of new levels of cross- organizational alignment and collaboration

This is an excerpted version of the February 2020 article Digital Transformation Signals: Is Your Institution on the Journey? Find it and more Dx resources at www.educause.edu/dx PAGE 3 OF 3

Workforce Shifts Is there evidence of these shifts in workforce?

New jobs and roles, e.g., chief data officer, Greater institutional accountability for career chief innovation officer, student success growth and talent management to officer, enterprise architect, and roles related supplement and support department and to vendor management, user experience, individual efforts and business relationship management Increased emphasis on work/life balance, IT staff have deep familiarity with the flexible schedules and work locations, and “business” of higher education new benefits to increase bring and retention Increased pace of change and scope in IT success liaison roles to align with expanding role of Focus on literacy around DEI across the data and digital technologies in research, institution administration, and teaching and learning Data fluency is a core competency across the Increased blurring and reforming of workforce academic disciplines Expectation of continuous improvement and Ongoing focus on new and shifting service management competencies for the professional competencies that require workforce continuous role agility Institutional agility and flexibility in Increasing importance of skills such as restructuring the workforce to adapt to rapid, teamwork, collaboration, and communication ongoing changes

Te c h n o l o g y S h i f t s Is there evidence of these shifts in technology?

Shift toward sourcing and managing Applications of emerging technologies to technology infrastructure centrally or outside education, research, and other priorities the institution viewed as potential institutional Technology, business, and enterprise differentiators architecture with agility and flexibility as key Defined data and analytics strategy that priorities guides institutional decision making IT initiatives and services directly tied to Increased focus on data privacy and ethics institutional outcomes Support for DEI in the development, Growing sophistication of cybersecurity selection, and deployment strategy to respond to new risks and of new technologies solutions stemming from digital Business and funding models that transformation acknowledge the continually evolving nature of technology

This is an excerpted version of the February 2020 article Digital Transformation Signals: Is Your Institution on the Journey? Find it and more Dx resources at www.educause.edu/dx